Squamata
Squamata is the large, diverse order containing the lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenans. They are one of the few currently extant orders of reptiles, alongside crocodilians, turtles, and tuataras. Traits Squamates will have a set of scales and/or scutes covering their entire body; unlike Chelonia, no part of their skin is exposed as it is always occupied by a scale or scute. Also notable of squamates is their movable quadrate bone; allowing them to open their mouths relatively wide. In snakes, the ability is more progressed, as they can open their mouths very wide to swallow animals very much bigger than their head (along with a trachea that can extend out of their mouth to keep breathing)HowStuffWorks "Snake Basics". Reproduction The reproductive organs of male squamates are, unlike crocodilians and chelonians, twin-lobed; the organ is called a hemipenis. Hemipenes are stored internally inside the male squamate's vent, to be everted when they need to mate. Hemipenes on Anapsid.org Squamate eggs are soft and leathery (unlike crocodiles and most turtles), with the exception of the eggs of some geckos having a hard shell. Longevity Records: Life Spans of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish Venom Squamates are unique among other reptiles in that they can deliver a venomous bite. Reptile venom is modified saliva, and in snakes, they are injected into their prey via hollow fangs. The quality of the fangs can be worn away over time, usually by the squirming and struggling of a prey animal.Snake Venom - Venom Production - Australia Reptile Park The fangs however, will always grow back when lost Animal Planet :: Reptile Guide :: Snakes. Currently, there are only 3 lizards universally accepted to be venomous: the Gila monster, it's congener the Beaded lizard, and the Komodo dragon. For all three, the venom is rarely fatal to humans, and Gila monsters (and the Beaded lizard) have to chew into larger animals to get sufficient venom into the victimGila Monsters on Kingsnake.com. Komodo dragons, however, rely on their extremely potent septic bite to bring down even the largest of prey items. Taxonomy Squamata has, traditionally, three suborders and holds about 4700 species.definition of Squamata in the Free Online Encyclopedia The suborders, infraorders and familia are listed below: * Suborder Lacertilia - lizards and geckos **Infraorder Iguania ***Family Agamidae - Agamas ***Family Chamaeleonidae - Chameleons ***Family Iguanidae - Iguanas and kin ***Family Corytophanidae - Helmeted and basilisk lizards ***Family Crotaphytidae - Collared and leopard lizards ***Family Hoplocercidae - Wood lizards ***Family Leiocephalidae Curly-tailed lizards ***Family Leiosauridae ***Family Liolaemidae ***Family Opluridae - Madagascan iguanas ***Family Phrynosomatidae - Horny toads, spiny lizards and kin ***Family Polychrotidae - Anoles ***Family Tropiduridae **Infraorder Diploglossa ***Family Anguidae - Alligator lizards and several species of legless lizard including the Scheltopusik ***Family Anniellidae - Legless lizards ***Family Xenosauridae - Crocodile lizards **Infraorder Gekkota ***Family Carphodactylidae - Chameleon gecko ***Family Diplodactylidae - Fat-tailed geckos, crested geckos, Green geckos, Leaf-tailed geckos ***Family Eublepharidae - Leopard Geckos and banded geckos ***Family Gekkonidae - Tokay geckos, Cat geckos, Day geckos, mourning geckos, dwarf geckos, flying geckos ***Family Pygopodidae - Legless geckos **Infraorder Varanoidea ***Helodermatidae - Gila monsters ***Lanthanotidae - Earless Monitor Lizard ***†Necrosauridae ***Varanidae - Monitor lizards **Infraorder Scincomorpha ***Family Scincidae - Skinks ***Family Lacertidae - True lizards ***Family Teiidae - Whiptails ***Family Cordylidae - Girdled and armadillo lizards ***Family Gerrhosauridae - Plated lizards ***Family Gymnophthalmidae - Spectacled lizards ***Family Xantusiidae - Night lizards * Suborder Serpentes - Snakes **Infraorder Caenophidia - Colubrids, elapids, and vipers ***Family Acrochordidae - File snakes ***Family Colubridae - Colubrids: Rat snakes, kingsnakes, garter snakes ***Family Calamariidae ***Family Dipsadidae - Hognose snakes and kin ***Family Natricidae - Grass snakes, water snakes, keelback snakes ***Family Atractaspididae - Mole vipers, burrowing asps, Cameroon Racers ***Family Elapidae - Elapids: Cobras, coral snakes, taipans, sea snakes, mambas ***Family Lamprophiidae - African House Snakes, Madagascar Burrowing Snakes, etc. ***Family Prosymnidae - Shovel-snout snakes ***Family Psammophiidae ***Family Pseudaspididae - Mole Snakes, Western Keeled Snakes ***Family Pseudoxyrhophiidae ***Family Homalopsidae - Tentacle snakes ***Family Pareatidae - Slug snakes ***Family Viperidae - Vipers: Adders, rattlesnakes, and kin ***Family Xenodermatidae - Odd-scaled snakes, Tubercle snakes, Philippine Shrub Snakes **Infraorder Henophodia - Boas and pythons ***Family Aniliidae - Coral Pipesnakes ***Family Anomochilidae - Dwarf Pipe Snakes ***Family Boidae - Boas: Red-tailed boas, Sand Boas, Emerald Tree Boas, Rosy boas, etc. ****Subfamily Pythoninae - Pythons: Indian pythons, Ball pythons, Children's Pythons, Carpet pythons, etc. ***Family Bolyeriidae - Round Island Boas ***Family Cylindrophiidae - Asian Pipe Snakes ***Family Loxocemidae - Mexican Burrowing Snakes ***Family Tropidophiidae - Dwarf Boas, Spinejaw snakes ***Family Uropeltidae - Indian Earth snakes, Shield-tail snakes ***Family Xenopeltidae - Sunbeam snakes **Infraorder Scolecophidia - Blind snakes ***Family Typhlopidae - Blind snakes ***Family Anomalepididae - Dawn blind snakes ***Family Leptotyphlopidae - Threadsnakes * Suborder Amphisbaenia - worm lizards ***Family Amphisbaenidae - Common worm lizards ***Family Trogonophidae - Shorthead Worm Lizards ***Family Bipedidae - Mole lizards ***Family Rhineuridae - Florida Worm Lizards Squamata on Wikispecies References Category:Taxonomy Category:Extinct Animals